The history of Jazz Festival Willisau

Former director Niklaus Troxler had begun with regular jazz events at Hotel Mohren and Restaurant Kreuz in the late 1960s. After hundreds of annual concerts and 35 festivals, he handed the reins to his nephew Arno Troxler in 2010. Arno carries the spirit of Willisau history forward with confidence and adds new facets and focuses to it each year.

The Willisau jazz archive at the music library of Lucerne University documents the history of jazz in Willisau from its very beginnings to the present day. The archive’s website allows media, researchers and anyone interested to conduct in-depth research on jazz in Willisau. Photos, excerpts of music, reactions from the press, posters and detailed information on concerts and line-ups can be found on www.willisaujazzarchive.ch.